Jalen Brunson gets 100% real about Immanuel Quickley after the Raptors game

On Sunday night, New York Knicks had another tough test ahead of him in the form of the Toronto Raptors. The The Raptors were one of the best teams in the East at the start of the 2025-26 campaign, with Brandon Ingram bringing happiness to the team after two poor seasons. But in the end, a more battle-tested Knicks team came out on top with a convincing 116-94 victory to move to 13-6 on the season.

In this match against the Raptors, the Knicks welcomed a familiar face Immanuel Quickley back to Madison Square Garden. As we recall, the Knicks traded Quickley, a homegrown talent they acquired in the 2020 draft, along with RJ Barrett, to the Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby. Quickley has since blossomed into a promising starting quarterback, even earning a five-year, $175 million contract.

Knicks star Jalen Brunson had nothing but kind words let me tell you about Quickley, his backup during the time they shared a locker room for a season and a half in the Big Apple.

“This is the opportunity he’s been looking for and it’s showing. I have nothing but respect for him — that’s my guy. We go out there, we compete, but I’m always rooting for him,” Brunson said on SNI’s Knicks videos on X (formerly Twitter).

“This is the opportunity he’s been looking for and it’s showing. I have nothing but respect for him – that’s my man. We go there, we compete, but I’m always rooting for him.”

– Jalen Brunson on Immanuel Quickley pic.twitter.com/0I8kmfucPA

— Knicks Videos (@sni_knicks) December 1, 2025

Brunson giving Quickley a huge stamp of approval bodes well for the Raptors moving forward. Some may think Toronto overpaid to keep Quickley long-term, but at least he’s proven to be a good fit for this Toronto ensemble trying to make some noise in the East.

Are the Knicks turning the corner?

It always helps that the Knicks played in front of their home crowd on Sunday, helping them keep the Raptors at bay. But so far this season, the Knicks haven’t played their best basketball yet. They are also still missing a few key pieces, most notably Anunoby, who is still battling a hamstring injury and currently has no timeline for his return.

The The Knicks’ most recent win was their fourth in a rowand two of those games at least came against tough opposition in the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks and the resurgent Raptors.

They will put that winning streak on the line Tuesday in another tough matchup against another division rival in the Boston Celtics. That contest will be on the road, where New York went just 3-5 this season.